OH, BOY!

One of my coworkers surprised me with these Bundtinis after we found out we were having a boy! Thanks, Uncle Jon!

When I was pregnant with Owen, Ralph and I had no intentions of waiting to find out the sex of the baby. The moment the ultrasound technician asked us if we wanted to know if it was a boy or a girl, I don't think I could have said "YES" fast enough. (I know I told everyone that I did not care if it was a boy or a girl, but I really did want a boy to keep the "Herrera" name going...and that's why I needed to know right away; HOWEVER, if it was a girl, God knows I would have loved her just as much.)

This time around, I honestly did not care. I even wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out the sex, but Ralph simply could not. He was sure it was another boy; and when I realized my pregnancy symptoms mirrored those of when I was pregnant with Owen, I was sure it was a boy also.

This past Monday, we got our answer. I saw Dr. L for my 17-week check-up, and he said everything was looking great. When he asked if I wanted to know the sex, I could have easily said "no" because Ralph wasn't there (haha!); but my own curiosity got the better of me. With a turn of the ultrasound probe, I saw the baby's you-know-what on the screen. The doctor didn't even have to say anything; I was already pointing at Baby #2's boy parts and squealing with excitement. I turned to Owen (who had never left my side during the entire ultrasound) and said, "You're going to have a baby brother!"

Yup! It's a boy, alright!

As my appointment was finishing up, I was thinking of ways to surprise Ralph with the news. And since Ralph wasn't supposed to be home for at least another hour or two, I was thinking of making a pull-string piñata, baking cupcakes filled with blue frosting, or filling up a black balloon with blue confetti. Buuuut...Ralph texted me a few seconds later and said his training class ended early and was already headed home. So, scratch all THOSE ideas. I made a quick stop to Party City and picked up a can of silly string.

As soon as I got home, I quickly covered the can's label with white paper (so Ralph couldn't read "BLUE SILLY STRING" across it) and ushered the boys outside so Ralph could spray it all over Owen.

It was a mistake giving him the can...he almost gave it away!

The silly string could have been pink, yellow, green, black, all the colors of the rainbow, and Owen would have had the same reaction, lol! To be honest, I kind of expected him to get a little upset. This is the same kid that gets weird with sand and freaks out if one of my stray hairs gets on his hands.

Don't feel too bad. He now loves watching the video over and over again.

And we know Owen well enough to just give him Pooh Bear, and all life's problems are solved.

So that's that! I'm waaaay outnumbered now! Ralph and I are super excited to have two boys, and we're already talking about future Halloween costumes, bunk beds, and (of course) names! We've had a first name picked for a few weeks now but haven't been able to think of a second name. This morning, my dad sent me a list of second name ideas, and I actually ended up liking the first name he suggested (even though it was a name that I NEVER thought I would like). I did not think Ralph would approve, but after I texted him the whole name, he responded with, "Haha, lock it in!"

You're probably expecting me to reveal the name at this point, but we've decided to withhold it until the baby is born. I know, I know! What stinkers we are! Until then, we'll be referring to Baby Boy #2 as "Rerun", just like Linus' little brother in the Peanuts comics.

Until next time!

Gender Reveal!

I know a lot of people have been waiting to know the sex of the baby...but I couldn't say anything until we told ALL of our family members! So, without further ado, Baby Herrera is...

A BABY BOY!!!

Ralph and I found out on the morning of October 1st (first appointment of the day!). It was my mid-pregnancy ultrasound appointment - so not only were we going to find out the sex of the baby, but the ultrasound tech was going to be getting measurements of the baby and sending it to the radiologist - that way, he/she could analyze whether or not the baby was healthy and growing normally.

As soon as I was on the exam table, the ultrasound technician told us that she would take about 25-30 minutes to do all the measurements, then she would turn the monitor so we could view the baby together. Of course, she asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby, and without hesitation, I answered, "YES."

For the most part, nobody said a word - she seemed so focused on what she was doing that Ralph and I didn't say anything. I just stared at the ceiling, trying to think of anything that would distract me from thinking about going to the bathroom (I was instructed to drink 24 oz of water one hour prior to the appointment so that I would have a full bladder...well...FULL BLADDER INDEED). But not 10 minutes into the exam, she said out of nowhere, "It looks like it's going to be a little boy."

I quickly turned my head to look at her, and I said, "Really?! Oh...I'm gonna cry!", which is exactly what I did. When she was finished, she turned the monitor so Ralph and I could see how big our baby had grown. We saw his little face, his feet (they look huge), and his little baby boy parts! There is absolutely no mistaking that this kid is a boy! And later that day, I received an e-mail from the radiologist, and he said that the baby was the right size and nothing abnormal was seen on the ultrasound. Thank you, God!

THEN it was time for the fun part...as you can see from the pictures, we surprised our folks with the results. For my parents and brother, I used a big cardboard box that contained blue/white balloons; and for Ralph's mom and family, I made a cake that had blue frosting in the middle. (By the way, I'm ordering a cake next time...baking/frosting/decorating that cake was a nightmare! I love baking, but baking does not love me...)

Anyway, we are so unbelievably excited and cannot wait to start shopping and doing all these DIY projects for our bouncing baby boy. February cannot come soon enough!